How to Sync Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar (2026)

Method 1: How do I subscribe to my Outlook calendar from Google Calendar?

This is the free method Microsoft and Google both document, and the right starting point for most people. It links the two calendars permanently, but slowly.

1. In Outlook on the web, open Settings → Calendar → Shared calendars.
2. Under Publish a calendar, choose the calendar, select the permission Can view all details, and select Publish. (If you pick “Can view when I’m busy”, Google will show blocks with no titles.)
3. Copy the ICS link that appears.
4. In Google Calendar on the web, click the + next to Other calendars, choose From URL, paste the ICS link, and click Add calendar.

The catch is the refresh cycle: Google Calendar re-fetches subscribed calendars roughly every 12–24 hours, sometimes longer, and there is no manual refresh and no setting to speed it up. Microsoft’s own documentation on calendar subscriptions warns that updates “can sometimes take more than 24 hours” to arrive. A meeting moved this morning can still show the old time in Google Calendar tonight.

On a work Microsoft 365 account the Publish option may be missing entirely — many IT departments disable calendar publishing. Our work-account guide covers that case.

Method 2: Should I export my Outlook calendar and import it into Google?

Only for a one-time move. Outlook can export an .ics file that Google Calendar imports in one click — Microsoft’s docs call the result a snapshot whose changes won’t automatically be reflected in Google Calendar. Future edits, new invites, cancellations, and deletions never arrive. Use it when you are migrating away from Outlook for good, not for staying in sync. See export vs sync compared in detail.

Method 3: Does OGCS (Outlook Google Calendar Sync) still work?

OGCS is a free, open-source Windows desktop app with a loyal following. It syncs on a schedule of minutes, supports one-way and two-way modes, and costs nothing. Its limits are structural: it runs on one Windows PC and syncs only while that PC is on, there is no Mac or mobile version, and it grew up around classic desktop Outlook — the version Microsoft is retiring in stages. If you use a Mac, or your laptop spends the day asleep, OGCS will miss changes exactly when you need them.

Method 4: Can Zapier sync Outlook Calendar to Google Calendar?

Zapier can copy new Outlook events into Google Calendar within minutes. Out of the box, that is all it does: a basic zap fires on new events, so reschedules, edits, cancellations, and deletions need additional zaps and careful de-duplication. For a calendar that changes often, maintaining the automation becomes its own chore, and multi-step zaps consume paid task quota quickly.

Method 5: What does a continuous sync service do differently?

A cloud service connects to both accounts with OAuth and keeps them aligned from its own servers — no PC left on, no re-imports, no refresh lag. Calendar Syncer is built for exactly one direction: Outlook stays the source of truth, and every change lands in Google Calendar typically within about a minute, with an hourly sweep as backup. It never writes to your Outlook calendar — zero write-back risk to the work side — and synced events go into an app-created Google calendar you can toggle or delete anytime. Here is exactly how it works. For a broader market view, including two-way tools, see the best Outlook to Google Calendar sync tools in 2026.

Which Outlook-to-Google sync method should I choose?

Rule of thumb: if a 12–24 hour delay is acceptable, use the free URL subscription. If you need today’s changes today — reschedules, new invites, cancellations — use OGCS on an always-on Windows PC, or a continuous sync service if you want it to just work everywhere.